श्रीगुरु-उपासना
Veneration of Shri Guru
Audio recording by Ami Bansal
I keep recalling a scene from 1994 when those of us participating in a Month-Long Course were invited to recite Shri Guru Gita in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in the village of Ganeshpuri.
I followed the group and was the last to enter the Temple. There was no more space in the back, so I was invited to come and sit in the front—next to the Guru’s padukas.
As we began singing Shri Guru Paduka Panchakam, I watched the priest anoint the padukas with sandalwood paste with such love and respect that tears welled up in my eyes and rolled sweetly down my cheeks. Those teardrops arose spontaneously, sincerely, and with deep gratitude from the bottom of my heart.
It was a powerful and great moment I will remember for the rest of my life!
Artix, France
On June 7, 1999, at Gurudev Siddha Peeth, a sevite brought my mother the most divine prasad from Gurumayi: a pair of padukas, with a jasmine flower and a bilva leaf upon them. The sevite told us that the padukas had been worshipped by Gurumayi herself moments before that.
I also remember that Swami Sevananda traveled across India in the late 1990s to bring the practice of worshipping shri guru paduka to the Siddha Yoga meditation centers.
We have a pair of small padukas at our home, where my family recites Shri Guru Paduka Panchakam daily. I love the phrase in verse 4 which speaks of how Shri Guru’s sandals “bestow the treasure of discrimination (viveka) and dispassion (vairagya).” Viveka assures me that I will proceed with steadfastness in my sadhana and that my Guru’s presence is with me, while vairagya helps me to hold onto what uplifts me and let go of what is not beneficial.
Many times, just visualizing Shri Guru’s sandals in my crown chakra brings an immediate wave of devotion and sense of protection throughout my being. I offer my salutations to my beloved Shri Guru’s sandals.
Dombivli, India
Today I bought some small pink roses and white Gypsophila (“baby’s breath”) flowers to honor Shri Guru’s padukas on my puja altar. I recited Shri Guru Paduka Panchakam and reflected on the significance that Shri Guru’s padukas hold for me.
I love having Shri Guru’s padukas on my puja altar, and every morning and evening I bow before them with great devotion. For me, they constantly radiate Shri Guru’s shakti, filling not only my room but my whole life with love. Every time I perform abhishek for the padukas, something within me becomes clearer, and I see fresh, pure energy flowing from the padukas.
It is a great blessing to have Shri Guru’s padukas on my puja altar. They help me to nurture and deepen my relationship with my Guru. To me, they are a meaningful anchor that gives my life stability.
Konolfingen, Switzerland