Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 50

Sutra 39. Mahatsangastu durlabho agamya amoghascha.

[The company of the great souls is again difficult of attainment, is unapproachable and is in-fallible or unfailing in its effect.]

Mahatsangah: company of the great  

tu: again, but, then  

Durlabhah: difficult to obtain

Agamya: unapproachable; subtle and incomprehensible, inscrutable 

Amogha: unerringly effective

cha: and.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, “One in a thousand struggles for Self-realization and even among such aspirants only one in a thousand attains Self-realization.”

An aspirant who has earned great merits by his strenuous endeavour in the present life or previous ones will be able to recognise the greatness of a Mahatma and obtain His grace. The lazy and indolent have no chance of obtaining the grace of a great soul. 

The effect of saintly contact is unerring or infallible. In ordinary aspirants, the transformation may be slow and gradual.

The spiritual waves set up by a saint travel a very long distance, reach the proper adhikarees and transform them.

  

Sri Sankara says in his Vivekachudamani, “Three things are rare in this world. They are :-

1. Human birth, 

2. Desire for liberation and 

3. The care / company / guidance of a perfected sage.”

Now, the true essence of this sutra "The company of great saints is difficult" has to be properly understood.

It is not that the great saints are unapproachable and they do not come forward for guiding spiritual aspirants.

The essence of this sutra can be explained through the sequence of the above verse from vivekachudamani.

1. Rare to get a Human birth

It is the rarest of rare, most precious to get a human birth.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said:

"A human birth is the most sacred one among the 84 lakhs (8400,000) of different living beings in this creation. To attain such a sacred birth is a great fortune, indeed." (Baba the Breath of Sai, page 311)

"Man alone has the chance to liberate himself from the wheel of birth and death, through the pleasant means of serving God. But as a result of ignorance, or what is worse, perversity, he lets the opportunity slip from his hands, and suffers grief and pain, fear and anxiety, ad infinitum." (SSS Vol. VI, pag. 60).

2. Desire for liberation 

So, more than even being born as Human, it is important to recognize the purpose of being born as Human. Swami insists on this and says,

"Having obtained the human birth which is difficult to get and which is like a step to Liberation who is more sinful than him who does not uplift himself." (Garuda Purana and Sai Teachings, Path to Liberation, page 29)

With the above 2 , the essence of this Sutra unfolds itself.

It is / it may be difficult to get nearer to and get the  guidance of a Guru / Master, not because Masters do not want to be approached, not because Masters do not want to guide , but because, the vast majority of human beings fail to recognize how important it is to be born as a human, what is the purpose of this human birth and then, fail to have the conviction / Mumukshatvam or intense craving for Liberation or, in simpler words, intense craving to realize God and merge with God.

If these 2 are there in a man, then he does not have to go about searching for a true Guru. The Guru will Himself approach a true aspirant in some mysterious way and under mysterious and unbelievable circumstances.

Having obtained such a Master, it is the duty of a true and sincere disciple to surrender totally to such a Master and allow the Master to take over the disciple completely and to guide him in his spiritual path.

It is only then that the company of the great Guru, Mahatsangha, is Amogha, unerringly, incredibly, inexpressibly EFFECTIVE!!

Love.