Guru Mahima

Guru mahima. Swamiji yesterday narrated a story of the parrot. How to understand the directions of a Guru. Also illustrating the subtle guidance shown by a Guru.

There was this Guru and his sishya. Everyday the sishya goes around town taking Biksha and then brings back what he gets and shares it with his Guru. One day when he was at a big house, he saw a Parrot in a Cage just at the entrance of a Big house. He found out that the Bird could speak. Immediately as the Parrot spoke, he entered into a conversation and informed the parrot that he was here in that town along with his beloved and great Guru. Upon hearing this, the parrot directed the sishya to ask one question to his Guru. That was, “When will I escape from this prison of mine”? The Sishya too said ok and after receiving Biksha returned to the Gurukul and narrated the incident to the Guru. The moment, the Guru heard the Question, he went into a big fit of paralysis and immediately lay unconscious. The sishya then frantically tried to revive him, which he succeeded in an hour or so. This upset the Sishya. He became angry at the parrot for putting such a question to his Guru and endangering him. He wowed that he would never speak to a parrot again. The next day, when the sishya again went to the house for Biksha, the parrot started to speak to him. But the Sishya did not even venture a reply. But the parrot kept on insisting. At one point of time, the sishya lost his cool and started yelling at the parrot. Saying because of the parrot, yesterday, his Guru’s life was put in danger and narrated whatever happened at the Gurukulam to the parrot. And it was foolish for him to have acted at the behest of a lowly parrot. Immediately the parrot went into a fit of paralysis. Stunning the sishya, who called nearby for help. When the owner of the house came out and saw the parrot unconscious, he asked the sishya what happened? To which, the sishya replied that he was talking to the parrot and suddenly it went into a fit of paralysis and fainted. The owner took the bird out of the cage to inspect the bird. As soon as the bird saw an opportunity, it immediately took wings and said to the sishya to thank the Guru. For through him he had given the parrot a wonderful teaching on how to escape.

Thus, in mysterious ways, the Guru acts. His actions seemingly innocent, but carry a wealth of knowledge.