तथा वदन्तं शरणागतं स्वं
संसारदावानलतापतप्तम् ।
निरीक्ष्य कारुण्यरसार्द्रदृष्ट्या
दद्यादभीतिं सहसा महात्मा ॥ ४१ ॥
tathā vadantaṃ śaraṇāgataṃ svaṃ
saṃsāradāvānalatāpataptam |
nirīkṣya kāruṇyarasārdradṛṣṭyā
dadyādabhītiṃ sahasā mahātmā || 41 ||
As he speaks , afflicted by and seeking protection from the conflagration of the fire of samsara , the Teacher looks at him in all pity and kindness and spontaneously bestows upon him protection from fear.
So with the previous slōka, the śiṣya's words are over, which is called paripraśnaḥ. The student has done everything he has to do. He has acquired intellectual qualifications; he has acquired spiritual qualifications, he has approached the teacher; he has surrendered and asked for the way out.
So whatever he has to do; he has done. Now the ball is in the court of the Guru. Application has been made. Is he going to accept? What will be guru do and that is discussed from verse No.41 to 47. Guru's response. Guru's response, if the student has got all the preparations proper.
Here Sankara is assuming that the preparations are proper; if the preparations are not proper; he is not ready to receive the teaching
Niriksaya; he looks at him; and when he looks at him, what type of glance it is; karunya rasa ardha dr̥shtya; with a glance which is soaked in the essence of compassion.
The scriptures always emphasise “kaṭaksah”.
The guru looks at the eye of the disciple. And what type of disciple? He says: tatha vadantam; the teacher looks at the student who has addressed thus.
Thatha refers to the previous five versus. The one who has spoken thus with humility, with reference, with appreciation, with clarity and also surrender.
Previous verses spoke about the attitude of surrender and devotion with which the student addressed his guru, with reverence.
For all those expressions, the preceptor answers with His one look. The one look expresses everything that the master has to convey to the student who has surrendered to him and is ready to be taken over by his guru to teach him Brahma vidya.
For those who have been following various talks given by the author, this Kataksha of Guru has been explained in the bhajan talk “Beda paar Karo mere Sai” in which one line “Reham Nazar Karo Sai Baba” comes. (Refer to his YouTube channel “satyamurthy viswanathan”.
The teacher looks at the student who has surrendered, taken refuge, Saraṇagatham, taken shelter in the teacher, tvam means the teacher himself, the one who has surrendered to the teacher and samsara dhavanala tapa taptam. This word has occurred very often; the one who is scorched by the forest fire called samsara.
Mahatma abhitim dadyad. So that mahātma, that jnani , that generous minded wise person, that compassionate person; that saintly person will give abhitim, abhitim means fearlessness, that means confidence, courage.
Fear in any jiva is fear of change.
This fear of change finds its origin in the Jiva’s ego which makes him stick to a particular state, particular likes and dislikes, particular associations or relationships, particular position or power, particular status in society, particular stage even in his spiritual state.
When the Guru takes over his disciple completely, He instantly helps his disciple to let go of the root cause of fear, “ego” of his disciple.
When the disciple has entered the kutir of his guru, offered his prostration with surrender to his guru and has offered himself to be taken over by his guru, at that very instant, his Ego leaves him or atleast gets reduced considerably.
When the root cause is gone, the effect- Fear- is also gone.
Love