If a devotee dies thinking of his Guru (Spiritual Master), will he go back to Krishna?
Actual Question from B S Mahesh Kumar:
Haribol. Dandavat pranam prabhu. I have a question to ask you that, what if one at the time of his last breathing or last few countings remembers his spiritual master instead of krishna then what might be the result of this? Will he get again into this platform for better chances or will he acquire a place at the lotus feet of krishna? Hare Krishna.
REPLY:
The simple reply is:
Yes, he will definitely go back to Krishna if he dies thinking of his guru.
Now my simple explanation to understand how it is possible.
Also read: SHOULD A DEVOTEE PRAY FOR MUKTHI or MOKSHA FROM KRISHNA?
Before coming to ISKCON, I have read the 10 volume book VOICE OF GOD that contains all the speeches of Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami Sankaracharya of Kanchi kamakoti mutt near Chennai, who was the family guru by birth for most of the brahmanas in Tamil Nadu.
Though he was an advaita acharya, he clearly said that Govinda is the Supreme Personality of Godhead – SARVAM VISHNU MAYAM JAGAD.
He had spoken in a place like this:
“There are many types of bakthas. One thinks that only the god is necessary and guru is not necessary; Another thinks that Guru and god both are necessary; Another says that only guru is enough for him. He says If his guru is pleased, God will also be pleased. Only the guru is everything for him. Out of all types of bakthas, this baktha is in the topmost platform and he is an advanced devotee”
How nice this is to read?
Thus, THE TOPMOST LEVEL OF DEVOTION IS TO SEE KRISHNA EVEN IN OUR GURU.
Guru is the representative of Krishna on earth.
If the guru is pleased, your elevation to vaikunta planets is confirmed and a seat is reserved for you.
If you directly serve Krishna, Krishna Himself will show you a guru to make your elevation faster.
Hard to believe?
That is true. One may worship Krishna directly, but sincerely. If Krishna is convinced that this devotee can be groomed to attain purification, He Himself show him a bonafide guru. Then, with the help of that guru, that devotee can practice the devotion and go back to Krishna.
Thus, one gets a good guru only because of the mercy of Krishna .
If our target is to get pure devotion, Krishna shows a good guru.
If our target is more material pleasures, Krishna does not take us to a good guru. We ourselves will go to a self styled bogus guru and get spoiled.
Some times, Krishna decides to select some people from a highly materialistic countries also. It is His causeless mercy. To achieve that, Krishna sends some acharyas to the highly materialistic countries to select some and make them as His devotees. This is called Shakthi Avesha Avatar, ie, the devotee empowered by Krishna.
That is why, Srila A.C. Bakthi Vedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON movement could visit all the continents and make thousands of devotees from among highly materialistic countries too.
Also read: Why and How did we fall down from Goloka? How to avoid it?
Thus, Krishna selects and empowers some devotees to cultivate many devotees.
Therefore, if you have a guru from a bonafide source, that means, Krishna Himself has sent him for cultivating you in devotion.
That guru acts as a representative of Krishna and train the disciples in the devotional way of life to get qualified to go back to Krishna.
Therefore, though guru is not Lord, but a human, a servant of Lord and a representative of Lord, we must understand that only Krishna has sent that guru for us. Therefore, we should treat that guru as if we treat Krishna.
We should give all the honours that we give to Krishna, because only that guru is going to help us to get Krishna.
Thus, if a devotee is always serving his guru directly or indirectly (vapu or vani), he will always be thinking of his guru. Therefore, he may think of his guru at the time of death.
Krishna is very much pleased when a devotee dies thinking of his guru. Appreciating his guru bakthi, Krishna takes that devotee back to His kingdom.
Do you remember that Krishna took the Pandavas to Bhishma deva who was about to die lying on the bad of nails. Why did he do so? Can’t He directly advise the Pandavas?
He can. But, Krishna wanted the Pandavas to hear from Bhishma deva. Because Krishna always adds the honours to the vaishnavas. Hence He took the Pandavas to Bhishma and made them to hear the preachings of Bhishma.
Thus, if you please your guru/ acharya, you are pleasing Krishna Himself.
This is the unilateral opinion of all the vaishnava sampradhayas and also the advaita of Sankaracharya.
Therefore, don’t fear what will happen if you die thinking of your guru. You too can go back to Krishna.