Apart from authoring several commentaries on the Upanishads, Gita and the Brahma Sutras, Shankara Bhagavatpada has composed Prakarana texts, light works, to facilitate easy comprehension of the truth. A Guru is essential for one to peruse and comprehend the import of the commentaries. Further, one's intellect must be particularly sharp. On the other hand, there is less difficulty with the Prakarana texts; their style is very simple and they explain the subject matter in a lucid manner. Neelakanta Dikshitar has said:

(Even that subject matter, which is difficult to learn from the scriptures, is readily understood from the utterances of poets. A gem that is terrible on the head of a serpent is attractive when it lies on one's palm.)

When expounded in scriptural parlance, a topic strains the intellect but, when presented in the words of poets, it is easily grasped. For instance, when some scientific topic is elaborated mathematically, people fail to comprehend it. But, when mathematical terminology is dropped and familiar illustrations are proffered, people say that they have understood. Nevertheless, they are not in a position to act on what they have learned. In the present case, the situation is different in that people not only comprehend the import of the scriptures from the prakarana texts but are also able to put into practice what is taught.

Shatashloki, a composition of Bhagavatpada is one such Prakarana text. Therein, in the begining, it is said:

(No illustration is seen in the three worlds - heaven, earth and the nether world - for the Sadguru, the imparter of knowledge. What if the Sparsha gem was conceived as an example? It indeed transmutes iron into gold but not into another Sparsha. The Sadguru imparts to his disciple, who has sought refuge in his pair of feet, his own natural state. Therefore, even the giver of worldly knowledge is incomparable (Alternative meaning: He is therefore incomparable and transcendental).)

If some object is to be indicated, an effective way to do so is to present a familiar article that is akin to it and to declare, "This is what that object is like". If a Guru were to be described in this manner, some well-known object must be chosen as an illustration. A Guru makes an ignorant man a great knower.
Is there any example in the world for this function?

If a piece of iron were to come into contact with a Sparsha gem, it would get transformed into gold. How low is the worth of iron as compared to that of gold! A Sparsha gem thus has the power of converting iron, whose worth is low, into gold, which is valuable. A Guru too converts an ignorant, worthless person into a valuable epitome of wisdom. It thus seems at the first flush that the Sparsha gem is a good example to indicate a Guru.

However, an attempt to describe the Guru in terms of the Sparsha will not be worthwhile. Why? It is true that a Sparsha transmutes a piece of iron brought into contact with it into a piece of gold. However, if that piece of gold were to be brought into contact with a piece of iron, both the gold and the iron would remain as they are. There would be no metamorphosis. On the other hand, a disciple, who is endowed with faith and devotion, is not only transformed by the Guru into a knower but is also rendered capable of changing a disciple into a person on par with himself. In other words, a Guru not only transforms his disciple into a knower but also confers on the disciple the power to convert another into a knower. That is why:

When such is the case of even an ordinary teacher, what need be said about a transcendental Guru who imparts knowledge of Brahman? Indeed, great is the merit that would accrue to a man were he to have the good fortune of beholding such a Guru.

(He, who is not available to many to even hear about and whom many do not comprehend though hearing about him...).

In accordance with this Upanishad declaration about the Self, it is rare to come across such a Guru who is a knower of Brahman and is, in essence, non-different from the Supreme. If, having obtained the rewarding vision of such a Guru, one were to hear the truth from him, cogitate on it and one-pointedly fix one's mind on it, then one's gain would be even more; limitless would be one's gain if one were to obtain the very realization of the Self from him.

(His lineage is purified, his mother becomes one who has accomplished what is to be done and the Earth becomes meritorious on account of him.)

In keeping with this averment, the disciple of a sage becomes one who is

(himself liberated and who liberates even others from the cycle of transmigratory existence).

In the Vivekachoodamani, another Prakarana text, Bhagavatpada has extolled the glory of the Guru in a delightful manner. He has said:

(There dwell calm, great noble ones who move about effecting, like the spring season, what is beneficial to people. Having themselves crossed the dreadful ocean of transmigratory existence, they, without any motive, cause other persons too to cross over.)

Normally, when we wish to cross a stretch of water, we approach a boat and ask the boatman if he will row us across. He agrees, but on completing his task, asks for money. The Guru, however, makes no such demand.

He has crossed the ocean of transmigratory existence and also causes other people to cross. Why? For no reason at all.

His mind is intent upon doing what is beneficial to others.

When the spring season commences, people feel joyous. What return does the spring season expect for conferring happiness? Nothing; making people happy is its very nature. Likewise, doing what is beneficial to others is the nature of noble sages. Blessed is he who learns from a Guru of this kind.

What is the characteristic of such a Guru? Bhagavatpada states thus in the Vivekachoodamani:

(There is some fortunate one, the enjoyer of the fruit of limitless virtue, for whose intellect external objects have completely ceased owing to its constant abidance in the form of Brahman, who experiences like one asleep or a child, what is submitted by others (as, for example, food and water) and who, sometimes, when his mind emerges from absorption in the Self, perceives this world like a world seen in a dream (that is, as a mere appearance). In this world, he is worthy of reverence.)

According to the scriptures, the mind assumes the semblance of whatever objects it thinks of. Our minds keep wandering, taking on the forms of sense objects. On the other hand, inward-turned minds have the form of Brahman. That is, they are anchored in Brahman, which is devoid of qualities and which is of the nature of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.

The mind that has constantly taken the form of Bliss has no reason to engage itself in grasping external objects.

The mind of the sage is completely free from the ideas of sound, touch, form, taste and smell and also from tendencies. In other words, the sage is devoid of the thought of any external object; he does not even have an inclination to think of it.

Is there no worldly dealing at all for the sage? Krishna says that the sage has no need for any activity. Some dealings may, however, arise for him owing to the accumulated merit of the good deeds of others. For instance, a person may come to the sage and request him to do something.

The question then arises whether the sage will do whatever people request him to do. The answer is in the negative. Sri Vidyaranya has written, in the Panchadasi, the following verse, which is appropriate to the present times:

(If a knower of the non-dual Truth were to engage in reckless conduct then what is the difference between a dog and the knower in the matter of consuming what is impure?)

A person may contend as follows: "To a great extent, I have obtained knowledge.

Knowledge reduces to ashes all good and bad deeds. Therefore, I remain unaffected regardless of my misdemeanors. So I drink whatever I wish, eat whatever appeals to me and act as I please."

Can this person be regarded as a knower of the Truth? No. Consider a man who is not a knower of Brahman but who dwells in the company of a holy one. Even he would abstain from misdeeds thinking, "Who indeed will perform an act like this?"

A dog eats what is unclean. It does not discriminate between what is right and what is wrong. If a knower too lacks discrimination then what is the difference between him and a dog?

Why should a knower of the Truth not engage in misconduct? Since his mental tendencies, nurtured even prior to the dawn of Knowledge are very pure, his mind does not feel inclined to do what is wrong. A knower of the Truth thus does not perform any misdeed. If, perchance, he were to do something improper, it would be on account of the evil conduct of those near him and the deed would relate to them, who impelled him; it would not pertain to him who is devoid of even the tendency to do evil.

The sage is one whose experience of what is essential, such as food, stems from the submission of others.

Sometimes, the mind of one who has been abiding in Samadhi does not descend to the level of worldly experience. If at such a time, a person were to go to the sage, draw his attention by shaking him and then indicate, "This must be done", the sage would respond but in an absent-minded manner. That with respect to which we commonly say, "I", the sage says, "The body". Why? Because, for him identification with the body has ceased; a sense of identity has arisen with respect to the Self, which is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.

Sometimes, children who are asleep wake up partially and eat food given to them by their mothers. However, on waking up in the morning, they deny having consumed anything at night.

Mother: You did eat.

Child: When did I do so?

Mother: When you were sleeping, I repeatedly woke you and gave you food.

Child: Oh, yes, I am beginning to faintly recollect that.

The indrawn knower of the Truth may, in accordance with the wishes of and motivation provided by a devotee or disciple who has come to serve him, engage in action like a sleepy person responding absent-mindedly to an external stimulus or like a child given food by its mother without effort on its part.

How does the knower behold the world when he has descended further from Samadhi? He apprehends the world to be akin to a dream. His mind is elsewhere, on the Self, but somehow he engages in activity.

Sri Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamigal

(Having indicated the characteristics of a knower of the Truth, Acharyal now proceeds to show how His Guru, Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamigal, too was a knower with such characteristics.)

In the life of My Guru, one special feature was that he did not acquire the knowledge of the Truth from the teaching of someone.

Arjuna asked:

(O Krishna! What end does a person attain who is endowed with faith but who does not strive and whose mind has slipped from Yoga without his having attained perfection in Yoga?)

The Lord answered:

(He who has failed in Yoga is born in the house of the pure and affluent. Alternatively, he is born in the family of wise Yogis. Such a birth is indeed very difficult to obtain in this world. There, he gains the knowledge that was acquired in the previous birth.)

We see people having different kinds of mental tendencies. Some, owing to tendencies stemming from past lives, perform only good deeds. Some others, regardless of how much competence they possess, constantly do what is wrong. Why? In accordance with the statement of Duryodhana,

"I act as impelled by some god who abides in my heart", they are dragged by the force of past actions.

In the case of my Guru, his introversion did not stem subsequent to his taking Sanyasa, studying the Sastras and practicing spiritual disciplines. It manifested right from his birth.

As a boy, he had to go to the market. Though he was unconcerned with domestic affairs, he had to keep in mind the requirements of his parents. There is a hymn called Mooka Panchasati. He used to contemplate it and so much was his absorption in the import of the verses glorifying the Goddess that, without knowing it, he sometimes used to proceed well beyond the market, to the end of the town. It was there that he used to note, "Where have I come? To the market. Where is the market? Oh! I have come beyond the town limits." He then used to return to the market, make the necessary purchases and deliver the goods at home.

Can one encounter such an inward-turned person? He was neither enamoured of seeing the shops nor keen on making purchases; he did not even have the money to buy much. What then was his mental attitude? "This purchasing of articles is something that ought to be done. So I must do it. However, there is a mental state which I must have and from it, there must be no slipping away" - this was his firm view.

When young, he used to perform the worship of Ishwara. The worship of the Lord can be done with the body, through speech and with the mind. Amongst these three forms of worship,

(The succeeding one is superior to the preceding one).

When we worship, our hands offer flowers to the idol but our eyes are turned elsewhere and our minds think of something or the other. This is quite a way of worshipping! Some others are not like this. They worship with their gaze riveted to the idol. Their minds, however, wander. Thoughts of the office, etc., arise in their minds; after all, they do have to go to their places of work. In spite of their efforts to ward off such thoughts, their minds continue to muse.

In the case of a few, the three instruments, namely body, speech and mind, are concerned with the same object. It is said:

(That which he mentally contemplates, he utters through speech and that is what he executes through action.)

Amongst bodily, verbal and mental worship, mental worship is exalted. My Guru did not have the requisite materials to perform bodily worship. Were he to have offered verbal worship, others might have objected to his loud utterances. What, indeed, is the obstacle to a person offering his mind to God and worshipping Him? Nothing, except that it is very difficult to hold the mind in check. My Guru, whose mind was under his control, used to perform mental worship of Ishwara on every Pradosha (which occurs twice in a lunar month and is regarded as sacred for the worship of Shiva). How did he go about his worship? Without any articles and

(with abhisheka (ablution) performed with the waters of the pure mind taken from the river of faith and with flowers of constant Samadhi, the purpose being to get rid of rebirth.)

There is a traditional temple in Sringeri called the Vidya Shankara temple. I have now given it to the archaeological department in accordance with the request made. That temple is delightful; it is most pleasing to sit there, at the base of a pillar, in the evening, at six O'clock, on a Pradosha day. My Guru used to sit there till around 7 or 7.30 in the evening, with no awareness of the external world, contemplating:

(I mentally conceive for You a seat made of precious stones...)

He proceeded to mentally offer food to God and to wave lamps before Him.

There is a story in the Mahabharata about the glory of mental worship. Everyone was performing worship on Shivarathri but Bheema was seen just reclining comfortably. Arjuna and the others felt sad thinking, "Even on this day, he refuses to abandon his characteristic of sleeping." Krishna wanted to throw light on what Bheema was actually doing and took Arjuna to Kailasa. On the way, they saw Bilva leaves being carried to Shiva.

On being asked, "How come you are carrying so many Bilva leaves?”, the ones carrying the leaves replied, "All we know is that someone is continuously heaping leaves on Shiva and we are carrying them. People offer one leaf at a time, but this worshipper, Bheema seated under a tree, is mentally offering tree after tree." Arjuna indicated, "I too performed worship". The response was, "Your offering has been placed under that tree. What this man offered mentally is limitless. What you gave is limited exactly to the leaves you actually used".

Mental worship has been highly extolled in the scriptures. My Guru, when young, used to perform such mental worship in an excellent manner. Even about his worship, much remains to be said. I shall, however, confine Myself today to speaking only about some aspects of his life.

After my Guru became a pontiff, several devotees used to come to him. They wished to plead, "O Mahaswami! Please bless that this, which we seek, come to pass". Yet, on several occasions, My Guru used to provide the concerned answers of his own accord, without the devotees saying anything about their problems. I was a boy at that time. One day, after he had given clarifications and permitted the devotees to leave, I asked him, "How is it, O Mahaswami! that when people come to you to seek clarifications, you provide the answers even before they present their requests?" He replied, "There is nothing to it. God is the one who impels me and I respond in accordance with His wishes. Such being the case, whatever is in His mind automatically comes to my mouth. I need to take make no effort". He was a great soul who had attained such perfection.

His dispassion was so great that though he dwelt as the pontiff in such a big Math, he did not even have the idea that he lived there.

(Having his meal in his palm and dwelling at the base of a tree...).

It was with this mental attitude that He abided in the Math. However, when it came to religious activities and activities relating to the welfare of the devotees, he acted in accordance with following words of the Gita:

(O Partha! There is nothing in the three worlds that I must do; nor is there anything to be attained that has not been attained. Yet I engage in actions.)

(O Partha! If I do not, without laziness, ever engage in action, men would, in all matters, follow My path. These worlds would be ruined if I did not perform action.)

Keeping others in mind, he opined, "You have all labeled Me a big pontiff. Regardless of whether or not I should perform worship and obtain the fruit thereof, what would you say if I were to abstain from worship? 'Even Swamigal does not perform any worship. Yet, he repeatedly tells us to do so. Why should we engage in what he himself is not interested in carrying out?' Therefore, I must perform worship. Then you people will act likewise, thinking, 'The great one himself engages in worship. It may or may not be necessary for him but we need it. So we must carry it out.'"

In accordance with the utterance,

He gave great importance to actions, though he was established in the path of Knowledge. Some of his disciples too have followed his example. Why? They also have the same fear like him. They reason, "If I leave Sandhya Vandanam for one day, my son will leave it for a whole year. Therefore, I must do it everyday to show the correct path to the boy".

My Guru was a knower of Brahman and was not dependent on any effect or cause. Still he led his life in such a way that there accrued the welfare of the world. Remembering the events that transpired in his life, chanting his name, and incorporating into our lives, at least to some extent, what he demonstrated in his life, constitute a means to our highest good.