Grace of Guru!!!!!

Sri Mohan Das.


The Taitteraya Upanishad which forms a part of Taitteraya Aranyaka of the Krishnayajur

Veda. It consists of the first chapter known as the Sikshavallli where the great sage Bhrigu

Maharishi propiates the Lord to grant him good and deserving students from all sides so

that He could also have a good reputation as being a good teacher. What work will a good

teacher have bereft of worthy students?

It is no wonder that a great seer like Bhrigu asks for worthy disciples. According to Gaudiya

Madhwa philosophy no Guru gets emancipation without granting gnaana to the disciples

ordained by the Lord and hence the Guru disciple relationship according to

Srimadaachaaryaa is totally an interdependent relationship. This same Bhrigu

Maharishi is born as Sri Vijayadaasaru and is blessed with worthy disciples like Sri Gopala

Das, Sri Jagannatha Das, Sri Mohana Das and a host of other luminaries who

illuminated the daasa saahitya horizon. One of his chief pupils was Sri Mohana das.

In a small village near Anegondi Bheemaana Nayaka was residing with his wife Yagyamma

and was running a financial institution with the help of his three brothers. Due to ill fate

Bheemanna suddenly died and the his wife was pregnant at that time and the three

brothers mercilessly drove away her confiscating all the property by tarnishing her image.

She went from pillar to post for sustenance and could not bear the torture of poverty. Even

her mother who was the only succor also died of grief on seeing the plight of her daughter.

Now the child was born and to add to the sufferings it was an invalid. The child had sores

all over the body with puss and blood oozing out from it.

The lady took the child to Hampi and as the Lord desired the great Vijay das had

arrived there from Chikalparvi for celebrating Purandaradasara Aradhana. During this

aradhana after a long time the lady with the child sat for meals and this time the child had

severe dysentery which made other people around also to leave their leaves and flee the

place. This was too much for the lady and she decided to end her life the next

morning. In the wee hours she left the baby behind and went to commit suicide and the

baby started weeping loudly. She could not proceed further and rushed to the baby and

fondled it affectionately.

Sri Vijay das was going for the regular darshan of Yantroddharaka Hanmuman and met

the child and its mother. As mentioned in the Vijarayara Kavacha by His disciple Kallur

Subbanaacharyaru this great dasa removes the Bhava roga itself and this disease was not a

great challenge to Him. He accepted Yagyamma as His sister and

bathed the child singing the devaranama

Chiranjeevi agirallu china neeenuu...........




He took the child to Chikalaparvi and gave abhiseka milk to drink and the holy gandha

applied to the Lord was the medicine for the superficial wounds and sores of the child. Sri

Vijay das implored the Lord to cure this baby by singing

Yivana paalisadare ninage Punyaa................

The child became not only absolutely normal but also very beautiful and was christened as

Mohana (for he had a mohana rupa). This incident clearly highlights the importance of the

grace of the guru and if achieved even impossible becomes within reach. After the regular

Chowla, Aksharabyaasaa, Veda adyana the guru sought a good girl called Seethamma who

was only 9 years old and after attaining puberty she lived with Mohana

das happily.

Sri Vijay das decided that time was ripe for Mohana to be included into the das

kootaa. He gave the ankhita along with the kaavi shaati to be worn as mundaaas after

subjecting him to the usual tests before becoming a das.

The guru has to sing a song with the ankhita of both the guru and sishya in that song and he

did accordingly by singing

Paahi Mohana Vitthalaaa..........

Sri Vijay das decided to go for the third kaasi yatra and called seethaamma and said

that some harm may befall Her husband and she should not perturb but remember Him at

that time. (Vijay das was a great aparoksha gyaani and could foresee the future).

Similarly, suddenly Mohana das died and he was taken to Yamapatna.

Mohana das pleaded ignorance and thought of His guru. Meanwhile, on the earth the

wife locked the door with the body as the crowd had gathered around to force

cremation and she reverentially prayed to Sri Vijay das.

The Lord in the Gita, clearly mentions.(Chapter10 shloka 25) Maharshinaam bhriguraham

and for the great dasa it was not difficult to reach Yama patna

and he was received with utmost honours. Everyone has the misconception that

Yamapatna is a personification of torture and torment but great personalities are revered

here and they have a special entrance.

The sage told Yamadharmaraaja that a mistake had occurred and a shepherd named

Mohana was to be taken and yama said it will take a long time for the soul to reach the

earth but dasaru said that the body will be preserved till that time. Mohana das got up

as from slumber and the shepherd died and with tears he washed the guru’s feet

singing the song.