Detractors Become Dogs

Those with form determination come out victorious in the battle of life. They take the path of God-realization and attain perfection. Self-restraint and observing spiritual discipline (Niyama) leads to truthfulness. Truthfulness awakens the desire to know the absolute truth, which in turn strengthens faith and promotes sattva in the intellect; thus enabling one to repose in God.

Blessed are those who have set God-realization as the goal of life and preservere till the end of their lives. There is no one more fortunate than those who are devoted to the divine works of their Guru. They are entitles to the Ultimate Truth. Dhruva was such a blessed devotee, and so were Prahlada, Mira and Chhatrapati Shivaji. They fully availed themselves of the Guru’s divine grace and never betrayed their gurus.

Manusmriti states:

Parivadat kharo bhavati swaa ve bhavati nindakah
Paribhokta kribhibharvati kito bhavati matasari

‘By censuring his Guru one will become in his next birth an ass, by falsely defaming him, a dog; he who lives on his Guru’s substance, will become a worm, and he who is envious (of his merit), an insect.’ (2.201)

One who participates in Satguru’s divine works becomes verily a god while living on earth who, unlike the heavenly gods, realizes his divine nature and transcends the cycle of birth and death. Blessed are those who associate themselves with the Guru’s divine works! Also blessed are those who persistently remain faithful to the Guru! The deceitful, selfish, egoistic and the conceited will not be able to persist in the divine works of the Guru. Those who are altruistic, unselfish, humble, and not conceited, who have faith and no deceit, do successfully transcend this ocean of samsara.
‘One who has no deceit in the mind, who is sincere and honest, such a saintly soul can transcend the ocean of samsara, so says the poet Narayana.’

Life is short. We should engage ourselves in works that help us to transcend the transmigratory existence (successive births in the 8.4 million species) and attain freedom. One should not, under the influence of slanderers, become engaged in pursuits that may leads us to the birth of trees, insects, moths, dogs and donkeys. Swami Sivanandaji has said, “Better not to have a Guru and to wander in the desert of life, than to have a Guru and deceive and desert him.”

Sri Ramakinkara says that one who slanders a saint becomes a frog in the next life, but one who runs a nasty smear campaign against a saint becomes a bat. A bat eats and also defecates through the mouth. What a wretched state detractors of saints find themselves in! Sri Ramakinkara was a saint of very high order and had made an in-depth study of Ramayana. He has given then commentary. The detractor of saint may also become an owl. To denigrate a saint is indicative of the characteristics of an owl, (literally foolishness).

May God grant us the good sense of carrying out Guru’s divine works selflessly only for the Lord’s pleasure. We should go to the guru’s place not for an ego trip or with any selfish motive, but to offer our mind sincerely at the feet of God, the Guru. Those who criticize Gurudev or his sadhakas engaged un serving his mission honestly, face the wrath of nature sooner or later.

Jadbharata was passing through a forest where the tribals were performing a yajna which required a human sacrifice. The headman instructed his men to bring someone. They brought Jadbharata. He was given a bath, and a garland of wild flowers was placed around his neck. He was to be offered to the fire as a final oblation. As the slayer drew a sword to cut off his head to please Ma Kali for having a son, the Goddess became concerned at a saint being offered as a sacrifice and she appeared from a halo close by. It is said in the scripture that Ma kali manifested herself and said, “The yajna of course will be completed but not with the sacrifice of the saint. Rather you will be punished for attempting to offer the saint as a sacrifice.” Ma Kali chopped off the head of the slayer who was performing the yajna and offered it to the sacred fire and greeted Jadbharata.

‘Those, who torment the saints, lose their luster and strength. Their entire family is destroyed. The example of Ravana, Kauravas and Kansas is before us.’

The world knows the miserable fate of Vikram Rana, who tormented Mirabai. Those who slandered Kabir were tormented at heart and died a miserable death. This is known to those who have studied the history of that period. Envious of Tukaram’s rising fame, people leveled false and baseless allegations against him and his followers. Tukaram didn’t say anything. Being a God-realized saint, he ignored them. He thought, ‘Why should I give clarification and to how many persons? What people sow, they will reap. May God grant good sense to all! ‘ The Lord does grant good sense to all but it is received by very few. Those who fail to receive good sense are punished by nature. They die a miserable death and take birth in horrible life forms.

The scriptures warn us. The Gurubani says:

The slanderer of the saint
Is a brutal butcher;
The slanderer of the saint is
Cursed by the Transcendent Lord;
The hopes of the slanderer
Of the saint are not fulfilled;
The slanderer of the saint
Departs disappointed;
One who prays for the four
Cardinal blessings;
Should commit himself to
The service of the saints.
If you fear the cycle of birth and death,
Then seek the sanctuary of the holy.

Prayer
O Gurudev I pray to thee,
May this world he as the heavens,
Let my life be most exalted
Bringing spirituality in practice.
May we never be self-centered;
But let us be caring towards all,
With the blessing of our Gurudev,
May we develop love for God.
May we always be devoted to truth,
and the command of our Gurudev.
May we cherish love, follow spiritual
routine, dharma and noble deeds.
May we refrain from falsehood;
Let us eschew injustice and egoism.
May we serve the elders
With gratitude and love,
May we not be narrow-minded.
May we be noble and high minded,
Loving the world and god.
May we love Rama and Krishna,
And the omnipresent Lord.
May we subdue all our senses,
May be patient and brave.
May our life be completely pure,
And may we do our duty always.
May we have purity of mind,
Purity of body, and conduct.
May not you deprive us of spiritual
Power even for a moment,
May we assimilate the grace of the
Satguru, and live a happy life of bliss.
Finally may we realize in this life,
The immortal self within!