1 minute read

The Madhu that Purifies the Heart

One who takes shelter at the divine lotus feet of guru receives his mercy. The guru allows that surrendered soul to taste the sweet honey – nectar emanating from his lotus feet. That is the medicine by which all his material contamination will be removed, and he will develop transcendental vision. In the dense darkness of ignorance, ajïäna-andhakära, he was blinded by materialism. Now that ignorance has been dispelled, he receives divya-jïänacakñu, the eye of divine knowledge: guru imparts tattva-jïäna, and by the mercy of guru he develops transcendental vision. With that transcendental eye, or vision, he will be able to see the beautiful form of Çyämasundara. There is no more darkness, or ignorance, only effulgent light. This is how the honey that emanates from the lotus feet of guru works. It is wonderful. Therefore, this verse says, çré-guru-caraëa-padma. Why and how the feet of çré-guru are compared to a lotus, is most significant.

The Madhu that Purifies the Heart

Advertisement

Another point is there. The padma-madhu cures and cleanses the impurities in the eyes, but it cannot clean the impurities in the heart, whereas the honey emanating from the lotus feet of guru has wonderful characteristics: it cures both the eye as well as the heart. This is çré-guru-caraëa-padma-madhu: it purifies the heart, making it a suitable place for Govinda to take rest.

tomära hådoye sadä govinda-viçräm govinda kohena-mora vaiñëava paräë

“O Vaiñëava Öhäkura, your heart is always the resting place of Lord Govinda. Your heart is Våndävana, the eternal

abode of Govinda. Govinda takes rest in your heart peacefully, blissfully. He never leaves your heart.” (Vaiñëave Vijïapti)

Guru makes the heart of a surrendered disciple like that, by giving him shelter at his feet.