46. A Guru is Essential

There was a person who was regarded as a Yogi and a Mahatma. That person used to sleep during the day and stay awake at night. A man asked that person, “O, Holy one! Why do you behave thus, for normally one is expected to keep awake during the day and to sleep at night? On the other hand, your behaviour is the reverse of the normal practice.” The Yogi said, “O Brother! There is the injunction of Sri Krishna, that one should stay awake during the night and sleep during the day. Lord Krishna is a Jagadguru. It is said: Once we encounter an injunction having its origin in the Jagadguru Sri Krishna, it becomes imperative on all of us to implicitly act according to it.”

The man asked, “Where has Sri Krishna so ordained?” The Yogi replied, “The injunction is found in the Bhagavad Gita wherein it is said, ‘At the time when all beings are asleep, the wise one is awake.’ I am a Yogi and so I stay awake at night. ‘When all beings are awake, then the sage is asleep.’ That is why I sleep during the day.” The man persisted, “How do you know that this is the meaning?” The Yogi retorted. “Why, I have studied grammar and this is the meaning that stems from my knowledge of grammar.”

The man calmly said, “You cannot understand the import from just a knowledge of grammar. To get at the true import you must be aware of the proper tradition. It is said by Sri Shankara in the Gita

Bhashya: No matter how much scriptural knowledge a man may possess, if he is ignorant of the tradition then he must be disregarded. Even though you have studied grammar, you are ignorant of tradition. The meaning of the utterance of the Lord is quite different.”

Knowledge of the Atma is not there in common people but a true Yogi has that knowledge. The true Yogi is aware of the state regarding which common people are in the dark. That is the implication of the verse. Such a meaning can be known by us only if we are familiar with our tradition and have an enlightened Guru to teach us the Truth in the traditional way. ❃❃❃❃