[ Namdev, Muktabai, Sopan, Nivritti, Jnaneshwar, Krishna,
Rukmini;
Jnaneshwar samadi shrine, Alandi ]
( excerpt from Jnaneshwari )
[The devotee] regards the Guru as a holy place, his deity,
mother, and father, and knows no other path than service to him.
It is the joy of his life to live in his Guru’s house,
and he loves others who serve the Guru as his own brothers.
The repetition of the Guru’s name is his only prayer,
and his only scripture is his Guru’s words.
For him the water that touches his Guru ‘s feet embraces
all the holy places in the three worlds.
If he should find some of the leftovers of his Guru’s
meal, they would be a feast far more sumptuous for him than even the bliss
of samadhi.
O Arjuna, he would take a speck of the dust raised by
his Guru’s feet as the price with which to obtain eternal joy.
What more can I say? His devotion is boundless. Out of
overpowering inspiration, I have described it in this way.
A person who has this kind of devotion and who enjoys
nothing but serving the Guru is a treasure house of wisdom. Wisdom is even
honored by his existence. He is a god and wisdom is his devotee.
Wisdom enters him through open doors and lives in him.
It is enough to satisfy the whole world.
Jnanadeva says, My soul takes delight in serving my Guru.
This is why I have explained it in such detail.
Otherwise, if I am not occupied in serving him, I am helpless
even though I have hands, I am blind to worship even though I have eyes,
and I am less able than a lame man to walk around the temple.
I am mute in praising his glory even though I have a voice,
an idler who eats others’ food. Yet in my heart I have the sincere desire
to serve him.
Jnaneshwar’s Gita:
A Rendering of the Jnaneshwari
Swami Kripananda
©1989 State University of New York
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