41.Vow: The Golden Pinnacle of Life

Chapter - 41

Vow: The Golden Pinnacle of Life
Can any one ever be relieved from the debts of mother, father and the Guru? The Guru is a unique benefactor and a guide to show the right direction.

The Supreme Guru ‘Arihant Dev’ is saluted/bowed first by saying ‘'Nomo Arihantanam’ before saluting/bowing to the ‘Siddhas’, the conquerors of all the eight karmas; because the acquaintance with the self and right approach to eternal happi­ness is obtained with the help of the Guru. Guru remains very compassionate for his devotees. How would knowledge be gained without the Guru? It is he who guides us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.

This is the greatness of the Guru. Whoever seeks his ref­uge is made like him. But the nascent or ignorant people can not assess this compassionate gesture of the Guru.

The Deity (deva) and the Scriptures (Shastra) are impas­sive in nature but the Guru is like a life boat becoming instru­mental in crossing the ocean of the future i.e. in freeing from rebirth.

Seth Tuljaram of Barahmati, a devotee of Achharya Shri, was a generous donor who having procured a bid of Rs. 60,000/ - had ensconced the idol of Deshbhushan Kulbhushan Bhagwan in Kunthalgiri.

Achharya Shri used to inspire him again and again to take the vow. Once Achharya Shri clearly told him, “You are not in­clined to take the vow. It seems that you have already fastened the bond of some “KugatF (organic-class) or the “Narak-gati ” (hellish-class) because one who has bonded any one of the three “/tc/vu-bandh” (hell sub-human and human age-bamlh) is not in­clined to abstinence”.

Seth Tulgaram, hiding his weakness for not taking the vow said, “There has not been any fortunate person like me among my last six generations to have the fortune of visiting such a dispassionate Guru like you. As far as the task of abnegation is concerned, it will be done at an appropriate time. But Maharaj Shri! When both, the “Vrati", the right-believer shravak who observes vows, and the “Avrati ” (one who doesn’t observe vows) go to the heaven then what is the necessity of observing the vows?”

Achharya Shri replied,” As a rule, the shravak with vows goes to the heaven but for vows-less shravaks there is no such assured rule.” Seth again said, “Maharaj Shri! Why do you force me again and again to take the vow?”

With a compassionate heart, Achharya Shri said, “I want a companion with me while leaving for the heaven. So, please accept. Here after no other Shanti Sager will tell you so.”

Heaving this, Seth Sahib repented and bowing his head said, “Maharaj! I am here just to carry out your command. Kindly oblige me.” Having the acceptance of Seth ji, Achharya Shri placed his “Pichchi” (a whisk of the softest peacock feathers) on his head and giving him appropriate vow blessed him, “May the vir­tue be with you. Your religious activities may rise. I am very glad to grant you a vow.” Has this kind of a rare intimate affection of Guru-disciple tradition been seen anywhere?

“It is true that if the sage Shanti Sagar Ji had not rejuve­nated and transformed this era with his body and if this living incantation (Achharya Shri) had not been there, then humanity would not have been elevated. And if such saints had not been there, Bharat would have been devastated by now.”

(From Sharmanlal Jain ‘Saras’)