The devotees who take the Ayyappa Deeksha from the guruswamy believe that guruswamy is the reflection of ayyappa swamy. Guruswamy plays a vital role in the journey of a person who is taking ayyappa swamy deeksha. He is the person who gives us the ayyappa swamy deeksha by putting the mala(rosary) known as maladharana. Guruswamy is the person who can clarify all doubts regarding deeksha. Guruswamy is the one who guides the Devotee to seek the riotous path.
Guruswamy guides the devotee to get closer to the Ayyappa swamy, he pushes him to be sincere in his deeksha. Talks to the devotee about the significance of not just the Ayyappa deeksha but also the life after the deeksha. Guruswamy will explain the what does “ hari –hara Suta” means, how can a child born for two males? there itself the question ends, because we dont have an answer for this question. Then there is no further scope to study or understand or answer. But there is a lot of significance, which can be known through Guruswamy only. So this entire deeksha deals with gurutattwa and tattwamasi, the supreme reality that we are one with the lord ayyappa who is sitting in the sanctum sanatorium of sabarimala temple.
“Tatwamasi” written on sanctum sanatorium of sabarimala temple, but does the devote who has taken the “mala” able to experience the same? So the entire journey of taking deeksha till swamy darshan at sabarimala is evoked around this concept. The moment maladharana under the guidance of guruswamy, at every stage, guruswamy helps us out by guiding us in the deeksha- like doing puja, making us do bhajans, clarify our doubts regarding swamy, and other aspects.
The Guruswamy is usually an elderly person who has undertaken pilgrimage to sabarimala not less than seven consecutive years in the traditional long route and had darshan of makara jyothi. Guruswamy is the person who will tie our irumudi, help us make our sabari yatra peaceful and successful. Guruswamy is the person who will show us ayyappa and make us feel the blessings of ayyappa. Without Guruswamy, one cannot take deeksha, neither perform sabari yatra. The deeksha begins with guruswamy and ends with guruswamy. It is the guruswamy who will remove the mala after deeksha and sabari yatra is completed.
During the period of deeksha, one should be able to ask proper questions to guruswamy to clarify his doubts. The questioning should be genuine to know the fact and help us in reaching our goal of knowing the supreme reality. It should not be to check the knowledge of guruswamy. We should never let the ego enter into our hearts that we know better than guruswamy, because we might have read it at some place, or on internet or watched some movie or video or known through some other discussion from some other source. Half knowledge is more dangerous, it makes us egoistic. If ego enters our heart that we know better than guruswamy, we need to think that it is the end of our deeksha, because the main motto of taking deeksha is to merge our ego at the lotus feet of the lord and become one with the cosmic consciousness realising the supreme reality tatwamasi.
He trains and prepares the devotee mentally and physically to reach this goal. The deeksha and its rules have been designed in such a way that if one properly follows them as per the guidance of guruswamy, then one is bound to reach this goal, if not immediately, but over the years he will reach this goal. Because, Lord ayyappa goal is to make us realise this supreme reality and he is sitting on the sabarimala hill to bestow the same. He will come down all the way to show us the path to reach this truth in the form of Guruswamy.
One should do service to guruswamy in all possible aspects, if guruswamy is satisfied means ayyappa is satisfied and the “Sabari yatra” will be successful and we will be bestowed with all the blessings of ayyappa. This will help us reach our goal quickly. The earlier we are able to merge our ego at the lotus feet of the lord, the earlier we will realise the supreme reality. This is only possible with being associated with guruswamy. Thats the reason, we need to do our deeksha in the presence of guruswamy being associated with him. Service to guruswamy will easily make us merge our ego at the lotus feet of ayyappa swamy. It is the “I” which is making us lose the harmony in our life. Why we are feeling happy the moment we see lord ayyappa at sabarimala, because he is the personification of bliss(ananda).
We will be blessed with such bliss if we are able to realise the supreme reality, and for this the one and only one way is to get associated with guruswamy and the way is only guruswamy. There are lot of benefits if one does his deeksha alongwith guruswamy in his presence and in his association. One will have a chance to do service to guruswamy, can ask questions to guruswamy and get clarifications, even if we are unable to ask,if somebody else is asking, we can listen and get clarified. Most of things can be learnt by observing guruswamy and how he is doing the puja, bhajan and any other deeksha related activities.
Right from taking achamana, to every minute detail in the deeksha, will have significance of some sort. It is always better to know the meaning of activity and then perform that activity. So who is the authority to clarify such doubts, it is the guruswamy. We need to be thankful always, because he is helping us in knowing the supreme reality by the grace of lord ayyappa. What more can be said,Words are less to describe about a guruswamy.
In conclusion, we can pray for their blessings to make ayyappa happier who in turn will bless us in realising the truth which gives us ananda (bliss).
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