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VIVEKACŪDAMAŅI
51
36 Śri Bhagtvatpāda goes on to mention with great tenderness what a pupil should do after approaching a guru.
तमाराध्य गुरुं भक्त्या प्रहः प्रश्रयसेवनैः। प्रसन्नं तमनुप्राप्य पृच्छज्ज्ञातव्यमात्मनः ॥३६ ॥ tamārādhya gurum bhaktyā prahvaḥ praśrayasevanaiḥ i prasannam tam anuprāpya prcchet jñātavyamātmanaḥ
Worshipping that guru with devotion and approaching him, when he is pleased, with speech and action betokening humility, he should beseech him to tell him what has to be learnt.
Bhakti is attachment to those who deserve to be worshipped. It is a mental quality. Prostration of the body and the joining of palms are expressive of this bhakti. praśraya is speaking with humility. sevana is prostrating in such a manner that all eight parts of the body touch the ground (sāştānga-namaskāra). It also includes touching the guru's feet, and executing his behests. The guru is served by these ways. He is pleased by this straightforward service.
tamanuprāpya: going near him so that he is in front of the śişya; standing in his presence in the prescribed manner waiting for the appropriate time.
prochet jñātavyamātmanaḥ: What is required to be learnt and desired to be learnt in the matter of the essential character of the self should be queried about.
By the expressions bhaktyā, prahvah, praśrayasevanaiḥ, purity of mind, speech and action in the worshipper are indicated. That is, he should have trikaraņa-śuddhi.
37 To those who yearn for spiritual knowledge, in the following ślokas 37 to 42 Śrī Bhagavatpāda is pleased to explain with tenderness the manner of worshipping ihe guru by appropriate words issuing out of true devotion.
स्वामिन्नमस्ते नतलोकबन्धो ___ कारुण्यसिन्धो पतितं भवाब्धौ । मामुद्वरात्मीयकटाक्षदृष्टया
ऋज्व्याऽतिकारुण्यसुधाभिवृष्टया ॥३७॥