This is an age-old question. Why do people in the field of spirituality cheat innocent public? In the times of Ramayana, even Ravana who wished to abduct Sita appeared in the garb of a sannyasi in ochre robes. Only then did he manage to trick her out of the safe precincts of Sri Rama’s ashram.
The next 14 verses of Moha Mudgara is called Chaturdasha Manjarika Stotram. Coming after the first 12, composed by Adi Shankaracharya, they are said to have been composed by his 14 disciples, a verse each. Sri Padmapadacharya, the first disciple, may have seen many mendicants in various interesting attires in Kashi and sung this verse—Jatilo Mundi Lunchitha Keshah. The verse says people grow their hair long into matted locks, they shave their head or even pluck out all the hair one by one gruesomely so that it doesn’t grow again.
They wear ochre robes of many hues and shades. They arrange their appearance in different ways not for personal sadhana and evolution but to fool people. These are the people who, though get plenty of opportunities to see and experience the truth in their lives, fail to see them as their focus remains only on appearances and attire.
All this drama is performed not to achieve any truthful goal in self-realisation. It is enacted as a means of earning a living by cheating to fill one’s belly. There are many such make-up experts and specialists who don such clothes and apply make-up to successfully fool people.
In our present day, it is the devotee or the sadhaka who needs to be aware of the lesson to recognise the husk from the grain in the path to spiritual seeking and unfoldment.
It is a clear case of Caveat Emptor or let the buyer beware. It is a subtle path in which by the time one realises they have been cheated or duped it becomes too late.
Many masters repeatedly keep affirming, how it is possible not to get fooled by the fake and false. It is not by going through a guru-shopping list and finding our perfect guru. It is by introspecting our own desires and needs.
Do I need to do sadhana and improve my qualities and live as a refined human being? Do I look for someone to give me words of comfort or solace? Do I want somebody to predict my future or tell me about the lives I have lived in the past? Do I want someone to perform miracles and magic?
If there is truth, honesty and sincerity in my demand, then the kind of guru I would be seeking should meet those qualities, and I am sure to find him. If my needs are shallow and baseless, then the person I seek will only match similar qualities. My life is in my hands.
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