Jaya GuruDeva Datta! Namo Gurave Vasudevaya!
This week, on the occasion of Sri Tembe Swami Maharaj’s Aradhana, the Sabha humbly presents Sri Vasudeva Nama Sudha - a stotra composed by His disciple, Sri Ranga Avadhuta Maharaj.
Sri Ranga Avadhuta Maharaj was a life long celibate, siddha purusha, shishya and contemporary to Sri Swami Maharaj.
In every shloka of this hymn, Sri Ranga Avadhoota Maharaj salutes his Guru, Sri Swami Maharaj, with the words “Vasudeva Namostute”. It is also to be noted that the logo of our sabha has the text “सर्वभूतनिवासोऽसि वासुदेव नमोऽस्तु ते”. This we believe has happened only because of God’s Grace and Sri Swami Maharaj’s wish.
In this stotra, Sri Ranga Avadhuta Maharaj brings out in crisp form, anecdotes from the Life of Sri Swami Maharaj, including His birth, His renunciation of the world, and the divine interventions experienced by His devotees.
At the end of the hymn, Sri Ranga Avadhuta Maharaj prays to his Guru, Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati (Sri Tembe Swami Maharaj) as thus: “You being like my Mother, should always guide me in keeping my mind set on You”. He further says that “I don't want Knowledge, Name or Fame, but only want to ever-surrender to the Lotus feet of my Guru”. Furthermore, He prays: “Just like how a calf becomes unsettled by the absence of it’s mother, I feel drowned in the Ocean of Worldly Life and that Shri Swami Maharaj needs to save me from this misery”.
All these are prayers from the heart of a shishya to his Guru, or from a refugee to his Master. These serve as an example for us in how bhakti towards one’s Guru and Master need to be.
Sri Ranga Avadhuta Maharaj concludes this Stotra thus “The One who daily recites this Nectar of Sri Vasudeva’s Nama with true devotion, definitely will he attain oneness with Vasudeva Himself”.
As how the sunflower is guided towards the sun, may we too be guided by Sri Swami Maharaj (an incarnation of Datta Bhagavan Himself) towards the Divine Light.
Namo Gurave Vasudevaya! Jaya GuruDeva Datta!