CHENNAI: Veda - sastra - puranani itihasadikani ca, Mantra - yantradi - vidyasca smrtir - uccatanadikam
The Vedas, ancient scriptures; the Shastras, religious books; the Puranas texts of ancient legends; historical accounts, and other writings. The science of mantra, yantra, mystical diagrams; and so on. The Smritis, traditional code of laws, magic incarnations, and so on.
Saiva - saktagamadini anyani vividhani ca, Apabhramsa karaniha jivanam bhranta cetasam
The Shaiva and Shakta treatises and other various texts bring about in this world, the downfall of those whose minds are deluded. The knowledge imparted by the guru is the essence of all the scriptures and it is this scripture that removes the ignorance deep-rooted ins us.
Today, we are in darkness. our minds are deluded with imagination. Imagination leads to hallucination and hallucination leads to fear. Just as external darkness creates fear, internal darkness or ignorance also creates fear within us. External fear can be removed by external lights. Conversely, only the guru and scriptures can remove internal darkness.
The guru guides us on how to use the scriptures as the users manual of life to lead an enlightened living. The guru says — “We must always be with the four vedas, 108 upanishads, 18 puranas and the autobiographies — jeevan charitra — of enlightened beings. Only then can we see light. From the state of darkness of ‘Gu’, we will go to the state of light ‘Ru’.
Just as people don’t recognise us when we dress up in a dance or theatre costume, gods don’t recognise us and we will not be in a position to experience the power of divinity when we are in the state of darkness of ignorance.
Until the guru enters our life, even our prayers offered to god are out of sheer ignorance. That is why they don’t bear fruit. Have we ever thought about how god is looking at us? Just as when we see a house from inside we admire its design and beauty, god looks only at our inner beauty.
When we offer prayers with faith and devotion, a transformation takes place within us and god recognises us.
That is why the guru advises us to read a chapter of scripture everyday. Then, when we go to the temple or any place of worship, god will recognise us and we will experience divinity. god is then willing to give us enlightenment. All our prayers are answered and we begin to feel the reciprocation from god.
Lord Shiva treatises to mother Parvathi that assimilating the truths of the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, Upanishads, autobiographies of saints and enlightened beings infuse the power of discrimination or viveka in us.
Extract from The Force of Nirvana by Shri Shri Nimishananda