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94
I am the Soul
That is to say, "Order itself is dharma and order itself is penance'. There cannot be any dharma other than this for a disciple. If an humble disciple were to be asked, "What is your dharma?”, he would not say, “My dharma is observance of Mahavrata, five samitis and three guptis'. He would simply say, “Living in the Gurukul, allowing the order of the Guru to percolate down to my every pore - that is my dharma'.
How does a respectful disciple take the order of his Guru? This has been very well conveyed in the next part of the same sutra -
इंगियागार संपन्ने A respectful disciple is one who understands the feelings of his Guru with merely an indication. The Guru does not have to say 'Do this' or 'Don't do that’. Going one step further, a good disciple doesn't even need that mere indication. He understands from the expressions of his Guru's eyes. Eyes are said to mirror the inner feelings. A disciple ought to understand the psyche of the Guru. In fact, only if the disciple has this knowledge can he become a disciple, not otherwise. The Guru always knows the mind of his disciple, but the disciple will be acknowledged so, only after he develops the ability to read the Guru's mind, not until then. Only those, who like to remain as servants at the feet of the Guru, not just as servant, but as servant of servants, will be able to serve at the feet of the Sadguru. The scripture goes one step further and says -
गुरुण-मुव वाय कारए That disciple will reside close to the Guru. Close does not mean only next to the Guru always. There could be a distance, even thousands of miles, but a true disciple will be one who can make a place for himself in the heart of the Guru. For a disciple to have a place for his Guru in his heart is no novelty. Only when the disciple places the Guru at the throne of his heart, will he be able to generate the feeling of respect towards the Guru.
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