________________
30
even if a Sadhak is placed under the best schemes of time and place, he will not be able to make use of them. On the other hand, even if he is adversely placed as regards time and place, a true seeker fully qualified will find his progress continuous. These necessary inner qualifications described in detail later on in stanzas 16 and 17.
अतो विचारः कर्तव्यो जिज्ञासोरात्मवस्तुनः । समासाद्य दयासिन्धुं गुरुं ब्रह्मविदुत्तमम् ॥ १५ ॥
ato vicāṛah kartavyo jignāsorātmavastunah samāsādhya dayasindhum guram brahmaviduttamam 15.
are
P
must be made,
अतः - Therefore, विचार: - enquiry, कर्तव्यः जिज्ञासो: - ( by ) the true seeker, आत्मवस्तुन: - of the Reality of the Self, समासाध्य - having duly approached, दयासिन्धुं - the Ocean of Compassion, गुरुम् - the Guru, ब्रह्मविदुत्तमम् - the best among the knowers of Brahman.
Therefore, a true seeker of the Self should learn to enquire and meditate after duly approaching a Guru who is one established in himself in the experience of the Self and also one who has an ocean of kindness in him.
Because of the reasons so far argued out, Sankara concludes that it should be the endeavour of the true seeker to find a true master and approach him duly to get himself initiated into the methods of enquiry through the process of meditation.
A Guru is described here. Just as there are qualifications necessary for a true disciple, there are some essential qualifications necessary in order to make a man of wisdom an efficient and true Guru...It is not every man of Selfrealisation that can efficiently take up the work of directing others on the path towards the Goal. The qualifications for a true Guru are being explained here.
Sankara says that a Guru should be not only a man of Self-experience in himself but he should have a large heart flowing out in kindness for all types of seekers. This is so