Sakala bhuvana srstih kalpitasesapustih
Nikhilanigama drstih sampadam vyarthadrstih
avaguna parimarstis tat padarthaika drstir
bhava guna paramestir moksa margaika drstih
Sakala bhuvana ranga sthapana stambhayastih
Sakaruna rasa vrstis tattva malasamastih
Sakala samaya srstih saccidananda drstir
Nivasatu mayi nityam sriguror divyadrstih
The divine glance of the guru creates all the worlds. It brings all nourishment. It has the viewpoint and essence of all the holy scriptures.
It regards ill-earned wealth as useless. It removes faults. It remains focused on the ultimate. It is the highest ruler of the three gunas, which constitute the world. The only goal of it is to lead others on the path of liberation.
It is the central pillar supporting the stage of all the worlds. It showers the nectar of compassion. It is the aggregate of all tattvas or principles of creation. It creates all time. It is Sacchidananda.
In this shloka, lord Shiva has highlighted different cardinal points that we seekers must work towards. First, we should act in such a way that the divine glance of the guru can ever dwell upon us. We must behave in such a way that the guru’s glance or guru drishti is always on us. Here, lord Shiva is referring to the kripa drishti of the guru as the mercy-filled glance of the guru.
Lord Shiva has repeatedly told us that, in the dark age of kaliyuga, the guru is, indeed, equivalent to the 33,000 crore divine forms of god.
Whatever we do, god can see which means that the guru — the sole representative of all gods can also see us all the time because guru is all pervasive too. So, the guru’s eyes will always be on us. Indeed, the guru sees us from all angles.
The guru is protecting us as our primordial father and mother. He is protecting us from negativities. He freezes our karma. That means the guru prevents fruition of future karmas. Through the principles imparted by him, he teaches the real definition of karma and dharma to us.
He ensures that by following the path of dharma, our old commitments of our past lives — sanchita karma as well as the karmas that we are likely to suffer in the future — agami karma don’t come to the fore in the present and become prarabdha karma.
Lord Shiva says, “The heat and cold effect of life or the extremes of life shouldn’t affect you. That is why you must earnestly pray to the guru that his divine glance filled with grace and compassion be on you”.
Excerpt from the Force of Nirvana by Shri Shri Nimishananda